Technical data printer and inspection means



Aug. 16, 1966 F. A. NIVENS 3,266,401

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r 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBWZVIJ a rum-mum I INVENTOR fauna/.9 4 MVf Vfi v4 rrae ME) United States Patent 3,266,401 TECHNICAL DATA PRINTER AND INSPECTION MEANS Francis A. Nivens, Pacific Palisades, Calif., assignor to Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc., Santa Monica, Calif. Original application Aug. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 680,357. Divided and this application Apr. 15, 1965, Ser.

2 Claims. (CI. 95-73) This is a division of application 680,357 filed August 26, 1957, now abandoned.

This invention relates to the handling and storage of reproductions of records, the originals of which average, each one, an inordinately large planar unfolded area and quite a bulky folded volume. These facts are particularly true of prints of aircraft engineering drawings and marine engineering drawing and naval architectural layouts. It is commonplace to find that such aircraft and shipbuilding prints measure as much as three or five feet by ten or eleven feet or even more. Folded in even the most efficient manner, each of such drawings occupies a by no means negligible volume, so that a complete set of such drawings may occupy, even when folded, as much as 1000 cubic feet. Beside being bulky, it is difficult to mark them identifyingly in such manner that the identifying indicia will readily be visible in the filing drawer therefor. Selection of desired prints, crossreferencing, keeping up to date, etc., entail time-consuming operations.

As the designing and drafting work on a certain project increases, so does the number of these full-size prints of the vellum original drawings, sometimes in a disproportionately large ratio, the latter disproportionate accumulation being known as snowballing. The floor space occupied by filing cabinets in which such folded prints amass may well occupy space badly needed for more essential equipment and often eventually entails a considerable amount of ground rental, among other disadvantages.

In case the plant, or the engineering department thereof, in which such prints are amassed should be compelled to move to another location, and especially in the event of war, the snowball'ed accumulation of cabinets containing full size folded prints presents a formidable problem as to their transportation, their loading on the transports, and their unloading.

Various approaches to the solution of these and cognate problems have hitherto been made, among which may be mentioned the photographic reduction of large engineering drawings onto a roll of microfilm, a segment of which is then adhesively applied facewise to a portion of a cardboard filing card of appropriate size; or, there may be utilized a cardboard card with an aperture therein in which is pasted a microfilm frame surrounded by a guard; and even a complete cellophane envelope each containing a strip or segment of this microfilm has been em ployed as file records of the showings on these large engineering drawings.

It will be apparent that a somewhat complex and comprehensive indexing system, itself quite 'bulky and accumulative or snowballing as to bulk, would be required to enable anything approaching easy, systematic and direct selection or identification of the desired reduced fragmentary image of the engineering drawing. To maintain such an index current, or up-to-date, by correcting each card to show or refer to the continual changes always being eifected in nearly every engineering project, further adds to the burden.

For the main, or master, layout drawings, at least 3 by at. least 11, in aircraft engineering, and larger ones in the shipbuilding industry, only a portion of each such 3,266,401 Patented August 16, 1966 ICC drawing could be placed, as above, on each standard size pasteboard filing card. A multiplicity of cards, each bearing only a segment of the one engineering drawing, are thus ordinarily necessitated. No approach to the solution of the small-compass filing-card storage problem can be made in this manner. Further, long and involved manipulation of these cards, such as laying them end to end to create a complete picture, is indispensable in order to obtain any idea of the complete showing of the original drawing. Continuity of mental image is hence readily lost, especially in the large, full scale, complex structural or configurational drawings used in aircraft and shipbuilding layouts.

The cardboard cards usually bear IBM (International Business Machines) or EAM (Electrical Accounting Machine) selector holes punched therein to enable rapid selection of a card from the cabinet drawer, and to visually match the punches in the cards with the proper film image in order to produce duplicate sets of cards is more than a little time-consuming, when at all feasible.

Obviously, such cardboard filing cards are not reproducible or duplicatable by any such simple means as photographic direct contact printing, nor are they selfidentifying, easily used for reference, or filable in any way that does not require an indexing cards system almost as bulky as the image cards themselves.

In order to obviate these, and other, difficulties, and deficiencies this invention provides, first, a transparent or translucent filing card of standard size, rather than an opaque non-printable cardboard card. Secondly, the card is produced from a sheet of cellulose acetate, or the like, photosensitized, as by a diazo impregnating dye, throughout the entire area of the one face in such a manner as to provide a diazo-foil; that is, a single ply filing card that hence obviates all the duo-fold, or double-ply, or laminated construction of the prior art that totally precluded direct-contact reproduction of any such filing card. That is, the aforesaid acetate sheet is impregnated with a photosensitizer that does not form even a surface coating or layer, much less a ply or window. Although the photosensitizer preferably consists of one of the conventional photographic diazo impregnating dyes having well-known multiple components and including a coupling-inhibitor, it is within the present concepts to employ suitable impregnation sensitizers of other natures or compostions. In the diazo species, when rays from the light-source strike the impregnated face of present mono-foil sheet, it photo-reduces a predetermined suitable one of these dye components, in a known manner, so that it cannot couple with the other components in the light-struck area. However, when the impregnated, exposed sheet is passed through an ammoniaaleveloper zone, all these components do couple and form opacities onthe otherwise transparent sheet of cellulose acetate. These opacities confine and demark unexposed areas of the translucent sheet, thereby defining transparent lines, etc. Such card can either be blown up in a viewer, inspected with a reading glass, or direct contact printed either positively or negatively; or even photostated; all for reference or engineering use.

A feature of the novel filing card resides in the fact that the lefthand approximately one-third of .the front face of the card is rendered permanently opaque and bears nonopaque or less opaque loci adapted for cooperation with IBM or EAM card-selector machines in selecting a card. The remainder of the front face filing card incorporates jreduced photographic negative images of complete fullsize engineering drawings, of engineering paper work" .related thereto, or other data and inscriptions. 7O

form a layer or coating but,

etc., from a master set of photographic negative cards of this invention. .The card can, among other things, accommodate a plurality of continuous, or complete, reduced images of a plurality of larger photographic subjects; a group of separate, but interconnected frames making up a single large engineering drawing; or a group of related pages constituting a book-type drawing or folio of drawings.

Since by far the major area of the card. is occupied by data-images of microfilm size, which of course can be blown-up or enlarged in a projector, and since the card is of minimum thinness, the invention makes a close approach to attainment of the minimum storage space possible of attainment for a given totality of data on a given number and size of large original drawings.

Because of the provision of highly visible filing or reference or identifying data photo-printed along the top edge of the front face of the card and since each card incorporates at least one complete, continuous image of a larger complete subject, it is a comparatively easy matter to keep the file of cards up-to-date or to locate a given card or change card.

Despite these manifold advantages, and regardless of the completeness of data on each card, ease of mechanical sorting by IBM -or EAM machines is provided by the opaque punch-hole area incorporating less opaque selective loci.

Because of the high photographic resolution enabled by the novel layout on the diazo-impregnated cellulose acetate body, enlargement of the data on the card to at least one-half the size of the original 3' x 11' drawing, or larger, in viewers, as well as enlargement by photographic reproductions, or projectors, is feasible.

The developed filing card is dimensionally substantially stable, or dimensionally recuperative, is stiff, and is abrasion-resistant. Each card consisting of a single, diazofoil film, a complete collection of cards, either a master set or a set of facsimiles thereof occupies a materially less volume in a filing cabinet drawer than similar such articles, so that fewer and smaller filing cabinets may be employed to meet all the needs of the largest and most active engineering or designing departments.

In order to render these, and other, inventive concepts more concrete, one of the now-contemplated filing cards, a method of producing same, and apparatus for use in performing said method are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described hereinafter in conjunction with said drawings.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the one of the novel filing cards as ready for filing;

1 FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a representational perspective view of apparatuses for performing the present method;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, expanded view, partly in phantom of one form of printer susceptible of use in the present method;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the electrical aforesaid printer; and

FIG. 6 is a flow-chart of the method.

A novel filing card 12, as made from the master card, is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 as comprising a direct-contact printed oblong, transparent strip of dimensionally substantially stable, or recuperative, substantially rigid, or stilf, material, such as cellulose acetate, that has been photo-sensitized throughout the area of one face and also photosensitized, as'shown in FIG. 2, thicknesswise of the card, with a transparent sensitizer such as a diazo sensitizer which, contrary to conventional photographic film practice, does not laminate with the body-material or rather, integrates with the body-material to provide, for a predetermined desired .depth therein, a then zone of sensitivity. However, im-

circuitry of the illustrating the essential steps pregnating may, if desired, extend thicknesswise from one face to the other. The consequences of such concept are manifold and among them maybe mentioned the fact that such renders the card a single-piece sheet only one layer thick. Hence, there is no need for the conventional windows; localized laminae, or pockets, for insertion of strips or a frame of microfilm or similar configurations. All such configurations not only are vulnerable to displacement or to being knocked or abraded off, but prohibit the photographic direct-contact printing of this master card so as to preclude the production of duplicates. The cabinet space occupied by such prior art cards is also noteworthily greater than that occupied by present filing cards.

The contact movements, or sliding, ing cards has no apparent effect on either by abrasion or by react-ion, and intact indefinitely.

Generally speaking the front face only of the filing card bears all the data concerned, the back face bearing only the strip of contrast-coating for the filing indicia.

The data bearing portion of the card, extends substantially from the righthand margin of the card to an imaginary transverse line 10. The remaining portion of the front face is substantially opaque, but bears punch-holes, or other less opaque loci therein which are indexed to a vertical column of punch-hole ordinates, which may consist of translucent numerals on an opaque background Zone.

The filing cards 12 are reproduced from master cards, not shown, but which are identical with the respective filing cards except for a contrast-effecting backing or coating congruent with the indicia-region on the back of a portion of the card. Further, the master card. always bears punch holes, whereas the reproduction-cards may bear either punch holes, or, where optical selection systems are available, only loci of lesser opacity than their surround. The reproduction of cards can be, and preferably is, effected by direct-contact photographic printing of adjacent, contactthe images herein, the images remain and, because the master cards are diazo-foil photographic any master card can be reproduced a substantially unlimited number of times without any apparent loss of resolution, etc., in the images on the ultimately reproduced card, or filing card.

In the specific format of filing card chosen ill'ustratively from among the manifold types rendered possible by this invention, the configuration primarily includes, in the righthand approximately two-thirds of the sensitized and printed front face of the card, complete printed continuous images 21 and 21A of the entirety of an engineering three-view drawing or other representation of a complete engineering subject or article. Each view appears as a continuous image rather than, as is usual, presented on one card as only a portion, say one-third, of this view on the engineering drawing, the other two-thirds appearing, conventionally, on each one of two successive conventional cards, the three cards then having to be laid end-to-end to obtain a complete figure, or full information and a complete disclosure of the subject matter concerned.

The principal continuous distance preferably substantially equal to two-thirds of the length of the card, or to an imaginary transverse line 10.

A substantially equal area 21A lying immediately below portion 21 is allocated for the balance of a working drawing which 'may happen to be too large for the area 21, and for a plurality of continuous images of a plurality of photographic subjects eaoh usually smaller than the aforesaid large Working drawing. Conveniently, these images in area MA may consist of reproductions of E.W.O.s (Engineering Work Orders), D.R.O.s (Development Release Orders) and the like miscellany of engineering paperwork.

The leftward third of the card, except for the index numbers 17, is preferably printed solid black from the master card in order to provide a contrasting background for enabling indexing of the plurality of apertures 18 punched therein for cooperation with the fingers or selectors of card-selecting machines, such as IBM or EAM card selecting machines.

Apertures 18 are oriented by and coordinated with a plurality of ordinates 17 arranged or printed along the lef-thand marginal portion of the card. As shown, these numerals follow each other in arithmetical, equispaced sequence from top to bottom and from to 9, inclusive. Not constituting a primary portion of the present concepts of invention, further description anent these markings is believed to be unnecessary herein.

In order to enable maintaining the filing system current with recurring drawing changes and for ease of identification and manual selection the marginal portion of the right upper edge of the card is photoprinted with identifying data, preferably at the same time as the ordinates 17 are printed through the stencil. These data preferably ident-fy the number of cards relating to the particular subject matter, if more than one card should happen to be required for same, and also the number in that series of this particular card. If the drawing reproduced in minia-ture on the card consists of a layout changed from an original one only in respect to certain portions of the original, that fact will also be noted in this space, as well as the number of the original drawing.

Further, in order to enable these data to be easily read, as in dim light, etc., the face of the card opposite to the diazo-impregnated face bears a coating 22, FIG. 2, congruent with the data-area, of a light-colored, contrast-producing material, such as a pigmented emulsion of lacquer and a thinner. A generally suitable such composition comprises a variable amount of TiO,, a nitrocellulose lacquer, and a suitable thinner that includes a mixture of ethyl acetate, toluene, butyl acetate, butyl alcohol, amyl acetate and a naphtha, this thinner of course being substantially volatile and easily vaporizable. This coating is extremely thin, and is exaggerated in FIG. 2 for clarity. Other coatings having s bstantially no discernible thickness are also contemplated and easily rendered available.

By virtue of the nature of the diazo-sensitizer and of the cellulose acetate body of the card, the master card can be reproduced an unlimited number of times and each reproduction of a master card can itself be reproduced, by contact printing, as many as six times without loss of resolution, definition, detail, etc.

The presently-preferred mode of making the translucent and self-reproducible filing cards isdiagrammed in FIG. 6.

Briefly, this method comprises, in the particular embodiment shown, two exposure steps and a single-pass developing step.

The first exposure step serves to transfer to respective marginal portions of the aforesaid transparent sheet the aforementioned indexing or filing data 15 and the punchhole ordinates, 17, assuming the latter have not already been incorporated in the originally purchased otherwise transparent cellulose acetate and diazo sheets. In applying the filing indicia 15, the upper right-hand margin of the card is the only portion exposed to the light source, the remainder of the card being masked therefrom during this operation. A transparent strip bearing opaque indicia is used to print these data.

In the second exposure step, the leftward one third and a portion of the rightward two thirds of the card, including the already-formed indexing strip 15, is masked so that only one portion, such as 21, is exposed to light passing to it through a strip of continuous image microfilm 76. This second exposure step occurs in two phases, spatially considered, in order to provide two tiers, 21 and 21A, of images of engineering information or disclosure. In the upper tier 21 on the righthand two-thirds of the card there is exposure-printed a latent or negative image of all, or nearly all, of a large engineering drawing-image carried in the microfilm. By shifting the card parallel to its transverse axis and shifting the microfilm along its longitudinal axis, the second tier 21A is printed and this tier comprises any portion of an extraalarge drawing that is not encompassable in the upper tier, plus images of engineering paperwork, such as E.W.O.s, D.R.O.s, and the like.

A feature of this invention resides in the fact that, for all the foregoing associated reasons, the final, or developing, step of this method consists of a single pass through an ammonia developing zone, 25, which, as shown in FIG. 3, is a conventional ammonia developing machine, widely used in the industrial photography field.

After the oardis thus completely developed, the necessary punchers are made in the now opaque leftward one third to identify the card in subsequent sorting operations. Since the sorting zone is opaque, the card can be used with either mechanical or optical sensers. When a direct reproduction is made, it will, of course, have an opaque leftward one third with transparent or translucent loci thereon corresponding to the punch holes in the original, and the duplicate card can then be used with opical sensers. Also, if desired, the corresponding punch holes may be termed therein to make it usable with me chanical sensers.

It is to be perceived that the entire drawing can be printed in but one or two exposures in most cases, and is then developed by one, single pass through an ammonia developer. If the entire drawing is very long, such as 50 to feet, a first card will bear a reproduction of the first 24 feet, a second card another 24 feet, and so on until the entire drawing is reproduced on a related series of cards together with any pertinent E.W.O.s, data sheets,

etc.

It will be perceived that the aforedescribed generalized method will produce a master card, including punch holes, and la duplicating contact print therefrom Will be identical therewith except that it emerges with less opaque loci in the black one-third of the card. The master card also, it will be observed, has filing and reference data such as drawing numbers and change numbers, but no opaque backing, the latter being applied only to the actually filed cards. No part of another drawing appears on any card, although two or more cards may be necessary to encompass but one extra-large drawing. The master and duplicate cards are identical in that both have reproducible images as transparent lines surrounded by solid black. Since direct-printing is employed, each card duplicated either from the master or from a print thereof, appears the same as the preceding one, rather than alternating, as usual, from a photographic negative to a photographic positive, and back to a negative.

Book-type drawings, that is, a folio of book-size and bound pages of drawings can be made on each card to a number as high as 48 pages to a card.

A prototype, exemplificatory card-printer apparatus, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, is capable of performing the aforedescribed method and comprises a case 28, the top face of which constitutes a work-supporting surface 29. On work-table 29 the oblong diazo-foil is operated upon, as outlined above. The interior of the case contains, as shown, a coordinated series of instrumentalities electrically set in train by the electrical appliances and circuitry diagrammed in FIG. 5.

The first exposure step occurs on the leftward portion of the cover or work table 29 as seen in FIG. 4. This portion is provided with a rectangular depression 30 just large enough to receive one of the diazo foil cards. Light windows and 131 are provided in the cutout having planar surfaces which are coplanar with the surface of depression 30 which is otherwise completely opaque. An index number template is laid over window 131 and an identification code or number template is laid over window 130. The former is opaque with transparent indicia and the latter is transparent with opaque indicia.

A diazo foil card is laid in the depression so that the appropriate marginal edges will be subjected to the light projected through the two templates referred to above. Lid 31, hinged at 32, swings down over the depression and the card. This lid is of larger area than the depression and card and is provided on its interior face with a flexible pad 33, which may be felt, foam rubber, or the like. The pad is rectangular and of substantially the same size as the depression so that it will fit therein and press down on the card to hold it flat in place dur ing the exposure operation. The pad may also serve as a light seal. Knob 132 is provided to assist in moving the lid and may be of the latch type to hold the lid down during exposure.

In the rightward portion of the work table, as seen in FIGURE 4, is a rectangular opening 34 therethrough in which is mounted a light window 35, the upper surface of which is slightly above the planar surface of work table 29. This window is of substantially the same size as one of the tiers 21 or 21A of the card shown in FIG. 1. Spaced from and parallel to each of the shorter edges of opening 34 is a rack 37 having notches 38 therein. A roller 36 is provided at a lower edge of each rack in alignment with the longitudinal axis of opening 34 to guide and press down the section of the microfilm which is about to be reproduced.

Carrier 39 is a rectangular plate of a width to fit neatly between racks 37. On or about the longitudinal center line of the carrier are lugs or detents 40 to engage in notches 38 and position the carrier to selectively expose desired portions of the card. The carrier is provided centrally with a depression 42 similar to the depression 30 previously described. However, depression 42 is provided with a single windowless opening 43 which is of the size of the two tiers 21 and 21A shown in FIG. I, and located to correspond to that area of the card. Hence the opaque part of the depression will mask the edge portions of the card which were previously exposed.

A lid 44 is hinged at 41 to the upper surface of carrier 39 and is provided with a pressure pad 47, similar to the pad 33 previously described which serves to press a diazo foil card down on the solid or flange-like portions of depression 42 and to seal against light. Latches 49 are provided at each front corner of lid 44 to fasten it securely down against the upper surface of the carrier 39. A latch 50 is carried by the forward margin of carrier 39 and engages in slotted track 52 to lock the carrier in one or another selected position.

When it is desired to expose tier 21 of the card of FIG. 1, an otherwiseblank card which has just been marginally exposed in the first stage in depression 30 is now placed in depression 42 in carrier 39, and the lid 44 is closed and latched. The desired section of microfilm is located over light window 35 and the carrier is lowered over the light window in such fore and aft position that the nearer portion of opening 43, as seen in FIG. 4, is over the light window. The rear portion will be effectively masked by the opaque work table 29. Since the opening 43 is windowless and window 35 is raised above the level of the work table, the card will be in direct contact with the microfilm and the pressure pad 47 will hold them securely together so that a very sharp image will be produced.

To expose tier 21A it is now necessary to unlatch and raise carrier 39, move the microfilm along its longitudinal axis to locate its next stage over window 35, and lower carrier 39, moving it forwardly, or toward the front edge of the work table as seen in FIG. 4, so that the rearward or lower portion of the diazo the Window 35, and secure the carrier by means of latch 50. This area is now shot and the exposure steps are completed so that the card is ready for the developer.

Inside the printer-box is a system of timed light-sources and reflectors, and respective shutters therefor. Since the light sources are preferably mercury-vapor lamps a cooling system, having a component active upon each of the foil card will now be over lamps, is also provided. Suitable electrical circuitry and appliances are provided for operating the cooling circuitry, the lamps and the timers, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Underneath the indexing title printing aperture 30 there is disposed a first mercury vapor lamp 53, for printing the filing indicia. It is backed by a suitable concave re fiector 54. Between the first lamp and the aperture 30 there is interposed a planar and rectangular shutter 55 carried by, and adapted to be swung into and out of position by, a linkage 57 operated by a solenoid 56. Underneath the second aperture, 43 is disposed a second mercury vapor lamp 58 for use in printing the continuous images on the microfilm onto the filing card. Interposed between the lamp and the aperture 43 is a shutter 59 having an elongate opening 59A congruent in area with the area of light window 35. The shutter as a. whole is concave, and has an arm 61 connected to a supporting and operating linkage 62 which is operated by a second solenoid 63.

A blower 64 for cooling the first lamp 53 is mounted to the left-hand end wall of the box, the 'air intake 65 therefor opening therethrough to atmosphere. The exhaust of the blower is deflected toward the first tube by a bafile 67. A second blower 68 for cooling the second lamp is mounted to the rear wall of the box, having an air intake, not shown, but similar to the first one and having a discharge 69.

A timer 70 for controlling the operation of, and duration of occlusion by, the first shutter in the initial printing operation, is suitably electrically connected, as shown in FIG. 5, to the energy source shown and, through a relay, depicted in said figure, to the first shutter operating solenoid 56, all as made clear hereinafter in connection with a description of FIG. 5. A second timer, 72, is, as illustrated in FIG. 5, shunt connected to the energy source, and, through the relay shown, connected to the second solenoid, 63.

The top face of the printer box also bears a means for supporting a roll of microfilm; means for unwinding the roll and feeding it across the top of the box to the second printer stage and means for inspecting, that is, enlargedly viewing, the several successive frames of the microfilm as they are fed onwardly, for checking purposes.

In the embodiment shown, these several means take the form of a bracket and film winder 73 the spindle of which carries a microfilm spool 74, a guide roller 75 subadjacent the spool and a receiving and guide roller 77 adjacent the distal end of the film.

A magnifying glass 78 is slidably mounted on a longitudinally extending rod 79, to overlie the advancing film.

The electrical circuitry shown in FIG. 5 comprises a main circuit A for operating the blowers, autotransfonner and mercury vapor lamps and a secondary circuit B, controlled by timers and operatively connecting the shutteroperating solenoids in series to the main 'energy source, the same energy source as that for circuit A.

Circuit A electronically considered includes an input conductor path 80, preferably deriving energy from a standard house-voltage, standard cycle 115-V10'lvl1 A.C. source. Electronically considered, energy passes through wire 80 to the pair of motors, not shown, for the motors connected in parallel in the circuit; thence to the primary of an auto-transformer 83, from the secondary of which the electronic flow is to the pair of mercury vapor lamps 53, 58 connected in parallel to a tap oif the secondary, now shown, in the usual autotransformer fashion, ballast coils in parallel and a corrector condenser, not shown, being, as usual, interposed in parallel between the lamps and the aforesaid tap. 1

Circuit B includes a source of AC. energy similar to that aforesaid and a pair of Well-known electrical timers of conventional construction, '70 and 72, the timers being connected in series to the coils 87 and 88 of a pair of relays 84 and 85. The switch blade 89 of one relay is in circuit with a lead 90, or conductor, tapped off the one leg 80 of the main conductor path, the lead off conductor path 90 including a resistor 92 and a transistor or rectifier, 93.

The switch 94 of the other relay is in circuit with the lead leg D and the electronic return leg E of the main conductor path, the latter connection being established through a smoothing condenser 95 and including a rectifier or transistor 97.

Relay 85 controls the operating coil of the solenoid 56 that operates the first shutter 55 and then returns through conductors D and E to the energy source. Relay 84 controls the operating coil 63 of the solenoid that operates the second shutter 59.

When main switch 100 is closed, the blowers are actuated as well as the vapor lamps and then the two shutters operate in timed sequence, as and for the purposes described.

The conventional ammonia developer 25, as shown, includes the usual appurtenances and the cards passed therethrough from the printer 24 emerge in the condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Although certain parameters, compositions, dimensions and other specifications have been recited by way of rendering this description more concrete and readily understandable, it is to be understood that the actual invention is as defined in the sub-joined claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for direct contact printing of an image from microfilm comprising:

a photosensitized foil for reproducing the image from the microfilm;

a containing means having first and second light sources therein, said containing means having an upper planar surface, said surface having first and second apertures therein for allowing, respectively,

passage of the light from said first and second light sources, said first aperture being capable of confining therein image producing elements, said second aperture having an image bearing strip of microfilm positioned thereover, means to guide and move said strip longitudinally across said second aperture; and

shutters disposed within said containing means between said light sources and said first and second apertures, said shutters normally preventing passage of light through said apertures, said shutters being electrically operated to open thereby permitting passage of light, means to adjustably time the opening of said shutters, whereby the passage of light exposes said photosensitized foil to produce an image located within or adjacent said apertures.

2. Apparatus for direct contact printing of an image from microfilm as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said upper planar surface of said containing means having a magnifying means, said magnifying means being employed to enlarge said microfilm to facilitate inspection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 844,680 2/ 1907 Kaut -73 918,509 4/1909 Conaway et al. 9573 920,582 5/1909 Kerr 9573 2,206,206 7/ 1940 Smith 9643 X 3,002,851 10/1961 Sorkin 9675 OTHER REFERENCES Tyler et 211.: American Documentation," vol. 6, No. 1, January, 1955; pp. 18-30.

JULIA E. COINER, Primary Examiner. EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DIRECT CONTACT PRINTING OF AN IMAGE FROM MICROFILM COMPRISING: A PHOTOSENSITIZED FOIL FOR REPRODUCING THE IMAGE FROM THE MICROFILM; A CONTAINING MEANS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LIGHT SOURCES THEREIN, SAID CONTAINING MEANS HAVING AN UPPER PLANAR SURFACE, SAID SURFACE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND APERTURES THEREIN FOR ALLOWING, RESPECTIVELY, PASSAGE OF THE LIGHT FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND LIGHT SOURCES, SAID FIRST APERTURE BEING CAPABLE OF CONFINING THEREIN IMAGE PRODUCING ELEMENTS, SAID SECOND APERTURE HAVING AN IMAGE BEARING STRIP OF MICROFILM POSITIONED THEREOVER, MEANS TO GUIDE AND MOVE SAID STRIP LONGITUDINALLY ACROSS SAID SECOND APERTURE; AND SHUTTERS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINING MEANS BETWEEN SAID LIGHT SOURCES AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND APERTURES, SAID SHUTTERS NORMALLY PREVENTING PASSAGE OF LIGHT THROUGH SAID APERTURES, SAID SHUTTERS BEING ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TO OPEN THEREBY PERMITTING PASSAGE OF LIGHT, MEANS TO ADJUSTABLY TIME THE OPENING OF SAID SHUTTERS, WHEREBY THE PASSAGE OF LIGHT EXPOSES SAID PHOTOSENSITIZED FOIL TO PRODUCE AN IMAGE LOCATED WITHIN OR ADJACENT SAID APERTURES. 